Fascinating and complicated hunting, the one at roe deer follows ancient rules dictated by the tradition and experience of hunters. Today, thanks also to a greater biological knowledge of the species, selection hunting has managed to identify the best periods during which to practice this hunting activity full of surprises and emotions.
Especially in north-eastern Italy the hunt for the female of the roe deer has always found few admirers and great reticence; it was preferred to hunt the male or young specimens, but the mature female of the breed, inasmuch as by her own nature perennially mother, was in a certain sense protected and protected. Although this attitude is quite understandable, it has created quite a few problems among the various groups of roes scattered throughout the Italian territory. In fact, it was believed that all the reproductive possibilities of the group resided in the female alone, totally forgetting the fundamental function of the male, who was taken with greater lightness. It was the biological-based study of groups of roe deer that gave a new face to selection hunting.
Selection hunting: definition. If initially the term "selection hunt" meant a planned hunt, with the entry into force of regional laws with the aim of regulating the collection of ungulates, by selection hunt was meant that hunt in which the game bag is established by a previously implemented withdrawal plan. Specifically, the sampling must take into account the status of the hunted populations and must be aimed at maintaining the natural structure of the populations of a given species. In the past it was believed that through selection hunting a certain population of ungulates could be improved by simply taking the worst specimens. Obviously, this ideology, full of gaps and imperfections, has never really succeeded in putting it into action: the objectives, however noble, were biologically useless and above all unattainable. It was the biological study of wildlife that enriched and perfected selection hunting. Today this genus of hunting is subjected to a previously drawn up sampling plan that takes into consideration the sex and age of the ungulates that will be collected: all this to ensure the conservation and continuation of the species for as long as possible.
Hunting the female roe deer: why? We have already talked about the natural reticence that for a long time led hunters in northeastern Italy to collect exclusively male roe deer. Yet this kind of hunting is biologically unsustainable. Although the female roe deer actually carries out the gestation and follows the young of the species, the male specimens are fundamental for several reasons:
• the competition between adult males for access to reproduction allows a natural selection of the breed: it is only the strongest and healthiest who have access to females. The exclusive withdrawal of males could undermine the now established natural selection, creating weaker populations in the long term;
• the limited temporal receptivity of adult females, fertile for less than two days, makes it necessary to have an abundance of males in the area. If during those two days the female did not come into contact with any mature male, the reproduction circuit would be jeopardized. It is true that nature has made the male roe deer an infallible hunter of females, moreover the female in case of lack of males becomes more daring, looking for a partner herself. This does not mean that a numerical imbalance between specimens of the opposite sex could cause many problems in the roe deer populations.
• studies of the various populations of roe deer in Italy and beyond have highlighted the equal presence in the group of males and females, although these are present in slightly higher numbers. This is a natural condition that selection hunting must do everything to ensure.
On the other hand, today's events speak for themselves: in all those areas in which historically the removal of males has been preferred, the populations of roe deer present neither show signs of abundance nor of good quality.
Hunt for females: when? Having clarified the importance of balanced sampling between male and female specimens, the next question that arises immediately is that relating to the sampling period. The logic behind the selection hunt is simple: it is important that sampling interferes as little as possible with natural selection. In principle, therefore, the hunting periods are organized taking into account various physiological and behavioral factors of the species. Specifically, the different biological phases of mating, parts, stage development and so on are taken into consideration. No less important are the assessments relating to the climatic and environmental conditions of the area in which the sampling will take place. In fact, the latter often influence the biological cycle of the animals they hunt, so it is good not to underestimate them. Having said this, the law believes that the best period for the collection of adult and class I females is the one that goes from January 10st to March XNUMXth with some variants relating to the Alpine area which we will talk about shortly.
What matters when hunting an adult female is to observe before shooting if the animal has any cubs in tow. The death of the female in that case will also consecrate her offspring to certain death. That kind of levy would be counterproductive.